Project Paperclip and the Importation of German Scientists:

How did the Nazi scientists change the world?

Jay Kristeller Period 7 Social Studies National History Day 1-17-08

After World War II, Russia and the US found themselves in a race to find intelligent Nazi scientists in Germany . The US forces found Werner Von Braun and other valuable Nazi scientists before the Russians. Maybe later the US forces could take them back. However the President denied Nazi’s in the US . This is what started the Project Paperclip case files.

What did the Scientists have that the US wanted? The Nazi scientists had knowledge of making incredible new technology that could change the world. Plus research relating to new rockets, aircraft designs, medicines, electronics and most of all the scientists themselves. These resources would give any country that found them first a huge strategic advantage.

Where did the US forces find the Nazi scientists? The Nazi scientists had built a complex, called Nordhausen in central Germany, at the foothills of the Harz Mountains. In May of 1945 the US forces stumbled along this complex while searching for the scientists. There, they removed all the equipment, including the V2 rockets, and took them back to America , and left the Nazi scientists. President Truman only allowed select scientists to come to America.

When could the scientists come over the Atlantic and into the United States ? In 1946, Project Paperclip was created. It allowed the scientists to come to America . There was a catch to the plan, President Truman said that no German scientists could have anything to do with the Nazis or any Nazism. Now that Project Paperclip was created the Joint Intelligence Objectives Agency (JIOA) could start making dossiers for the scientists. The scientists could only come if they passed the dossiers checker’s approval.

Who made it so the Scientists could come over to America? In February 1947 the first batch of dossiers came back and showed that the scientists were all Nazis. This is where the conflict began. Allen Dulles, the director of the CIA, decided to change the dossiers so they didn’t identify that the scientists were Nazis. The compromise was to lie so that they could get the scientists in to the US . Allen Dulles believed that these valuable humans could change America ’s history forever. More than 700 Nazi scientists were granted US citizenship in 1955, because of Allen’s decision.

What was some of the background information on some of the scientists?

Werner Von Braun missiles for the US and became director of NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center. He became very famous in the 1950’s by working as one of Walt Disney's scientists on the "World of Tomorrow." In 1970, he became NASA's associate administrator.

Why was it necessary for Allen to lie? If the US wasn’t allowed to bring the scientists to America, and the Russians got them; it would have been a big problem. Since the race was between Russia and the US they probably would have taken them if Allen Dulles didn’t make his decision. The space race probably wouldn’t have existed with the Nazis on Russia’s side. The Nazis, in general, changed not only the country that captured them, but the whole world.

How did this event change America? With the help of Werner Von Braun and his scientists the US put up a fight against Russia in the space race. The United States also accomplished putting a man on the moon first. It also contributed to the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) which allows anyone to ask for federal records. FOIA prevents powerful figures from compromising their integrity.

How did the Nazi scientists change the World? The Nazis had something that was so important. It changed the history of the world, because the United States possessed them. The Nazis were brought over from Germany to America, because of Allen’s actions. This was a very important event in the history of the world, because whoever had these resources they would lead the world with technologies.